Full-fashioned clocked hosiery and method of making same



March 31. 1925.

R. E. SCHLETTER .FULL FASHIONED GLOCKED HOSI-ERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME a nv nus/v r01 7 6/742; frnJ/Mle Zia-r."

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March 31; 1925. 1,531,349

R. E. SCHLETTER FULL'FASHIONED CLOCKED HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 6, 1923 s Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTGiP/VEX March 31. 1925. 1,531,349

R. E. SCHLETTER FULL FASHIONED CLOCKED HOSIERY AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 6 1923 :s sheets-sheet s Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTMFQFFICE.

' RICHARD ERNST SCHLE'PTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. U

FULL-FASHIONED CLOCKED HOSIIERY AND mt'monpr MAKING same Application filed January 6, 1923. Serfal No. 611,193.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD ERNST SCHLETTER, a citizen of the Republic of Germany (naturalization papers applied for), residing at the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improved Full-Fashioned Clocked Hosiery and Methods of Making Same, of which the followingis a specification.

hosiery in which clocks are embroidered thereon. While'this type is best suited for every-day use practice dictates, that, the action of needles laying-on the embroidery yarn serves to so weaken the stocking-web as to have a deleterious effect thereon. The embroidering operation also serves to increase manufacturing costs.

The leading object of the present invention is to overcome the above described, disadvantageous features and provide full fashioned hosiery with clocks knitted in with the stocking-web by means of re-inforcing thread,whereby, not only is the stocking-web adjacent said clocks strengthened and the cost of production reduced, thus providing hosiery suitable for every-day use, but, in addition, hosiery is provided possessed of unique, structural characteristics presenting an ornamental and distinctive appearance, rendering such hosiery suitable for wear upon special occasions also. A further object of the presentinvention is to provide fine, chiffon silk hosiery with clocks in such manner, that, While the ankle portion thereof is re-inforced by such clocks the latter are not detrimental to the appearance of the stocking, but, upon the contrary enhance its appearance. A still further object of the present invention is to knit into the ankle portion of a stocking-web, simultaneously with the formation of clocks, re-inforcing thread in alignment with the heel-parts but spaced from the clocks wheredrawings forming part hereof,

by a re-inforced, rear ankle portion is provided above the heel of a stocking. Wlth these and other objects in view, the 1I1V8Ilt1011 consists of the improvementsheremafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of-the invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken 1n connection with the accompanying and in wh1ch:

Fig. 1, is a fragmentary view of a stocking-web fabricated in accordance with the' present invention.

Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation of a completed stocking. Fig. 3, is a fragmentary view of a stock: mg-Web exposing both siles of a clocl.,'and

Fig. 4, is a fragmentary view of another form of stocking-web fabricated in accordance with the present invention.

For the purpose of illustrating my inventlon I have shown in the accompanying drawings two forms thereof which are at present preferred by me, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arrange and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

The web of hosiery embodying features of the present invention is knit upon a straight knitting machine equipped with mechanism capable of co-actiug with respect to the web-forming needles to provider inforcements having zig-zag-like lines inclined to the wales and courses of the web. An example of such stocking re-inforcement is disclosed in Letters Patent granted to me under date of September 19, 1916, and numbered 1,198,482. In manufacture, the stocking-web, which has selvage edges, is knit .in a well understood manner to that portion of the leg at which the narrowing operation takes place. In the drawings the stocking-web is designated 10 and the narrowing leg portion is designated 1111. At or about the time narrowing of the leg portion is commenced, additional or re-inforcing thread is presented to certain of the web-forming needles to effect formation of a clock or clocks 12. During formation of a clock or clocks it is to be understood, that, fabrication of the stocking-web, in-

cluding the reinforced heel portions Iii-+1 clocks desired, the feeding of additional thread varies. It is to be understood also, that, the clock or clocks may extend above or below the parts 1111 of the web. In practice I commence the formation of the clock or clocks midway'of the narrowing portion of the web. Obviously but one clock may be formed upon a stocking-web if desired, although in practice two are pro- 'vided. As the steps of formation of two clocks are mere duplication the following description, for illustrative purposes, will be restricted to the fabrication of single clocked stocking-web.

Referring now more particularly to the form shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, a description of the method of formation will now be iven- At or about the time the narrowing of the stocking-web 10 takes place one or 'more of the web-forming needles are provided with additional or re-inforcing thread to formthe top 15 of a clock. At predetermined intervals, thereafter, additional needles have fed thereto said thread to provide a re-inforced portion of gradually increasing width the outline or contour of which is comprised of zig-zag-like lines 1616. .The re-inforcing thread at predetermined intervals is now withheld from the stocking-web forming needles to form the lines 1717 thus completing a conventional, leaf-like figure 18. From the bottom of this figure 18 there is extended downwardly, in a vertical manner, a portion 19 formed by one or more web-forming needles knitting re-enforcing thread into the web 10. At a predetermined place said portion 19 may have added thereto a small design, as a cross 20, formed by supplying, at predetermined intervals, additional needles with reinforcing thread and then withholding said thread at similar intervals. Upon completion of portion. 19, additional needles are provided with re-inforcing thread to provide widened part 21. At a predetermined place part 21 is also widened to provide part 22 which latter part, in turn, is widened at a predetermined place to provide part 23 which extends down to a heel part. The combined arts 19, 21, 22 and 23 form a vertical, stemlike figure gradually increasing in width upon.each side of a medial line extending vertically therethrough. The outline or contour of such stem-like figure is formed by zig-zag-like lines althou h not as pronounced as in the leaf-shape figure. At or about the time that the formation of part 23 is commenced a group of web-forming needles, spaced from those forming a clock, are provided with re-inforcing thread and knit into the web, simultaneously with the formatidh of the balance of part 23, a re-inforced part 24 which extends laterally from a selvage edge of the stocking-web toward a clock. The part 24 is at the rear of the ankle, is .above the heel and in alignment therewith and is spaced from a clock. This part 24 is positioned to resist wear at or near the heel in the rear thereof. This provides-a useful adjunct to a stocking, is not detrimental to its appearance because it blends with the particular type of clocks employed and is inexpensive in that it may be fabricated simultaneously with a clock. Upon completion of part 23 of the clock and the East 24 at the stocking rear, the clock is 'shed by withholding re-inforcing thread from certain ofqthe needles and ermitting others to knit re-inforcing threail in a direction toward the stocking toe for aepre-determined distance as indicated at 23. This part is s aced from the re-inforced foot portion an forms a finish for the lower portion of a clock. Simultaneously with the formation of part 23, certain of the needles which have formed clock part 23 and heel part 24 and those needles forming the part there-between are supplied with re-inforcing thread to efiect formation of a conventional re-inforced heel part. A conventional foot is then attached to the stockingweb in the usual manner.

A description will now be given of the. formation of a stocking-web as disclosed in Fig. 4. At or about the time the narrowingof the stocking-web takes place one or more of the web-forming needles are provided with additional or re-inforcing thread to form the top 25 of a clock. At predetermined intervals, thereafter, additional needles have fed thereto said thread thus providing a re-inforced portion of gradually increasing width the outline or contour of which is comprised of zig-zag-like lines 26-26. The re-inforein'g thread, at predetermined intervals, is now held free of certain of-the web-forming needles thus providing a re-inforced portion of gradually decreasing width, the outline or contour of which is comprised of sig-zag-like lines 27-27. Thus a relatively diamond-shaped figure 27' is produced. From the bottom of this figure 27' there is extended downwardly, in a vertical manner, a portion 28 formed by one or more web-forming needles being supplied with re-inforcing thread. At a predetermined place such part 28 may be widened as at 29 by supplying additional needles, at least one upon each side of the group which has formed part 28, with reinforcing thread. At a predetermined place part 29 may be also widened, in a manner similar to that above described, to form part 30. This part 30 may in turn, at a predetermined place, be also widened for a desired distance to form part 31. The combined parts 28 to 31, inclusive. form a vertical, stem-like figure gradually increasing in width upon each side of a medial line extending vertically therethrough. The outline or contour of-such stem-like figure is formed by zig-zag-likelines although not as pronounced as in the diamond shaped figure 27. The stem-like portion above described. is now appreciably widened along zig-zag-like lines 32-33 by supplying additional web-forming needles with the re-inforcing thread. The above described, reinforced part forms a clock spaced from the selvage edge of the Web. The zigzag-like l ne 32 is carried further down the ankle-portion of the web than is the line 33 and at a predetermined place all of the web-forming needles between a selvage edge and a clock are supplied with additional thread to provide a re-inforced heel part. The stock ng is now finished in the usual manner it being understood that the heel re-inforcement is a continuation of the clock as fabricated.

The above described methods of fabrication provide neat, attractive and comparatively inexpensive hosiery. Further fine chiffon silk may be employed because the clocks, being formed simultaneously wlth and knitted directly into the stockmg-web, act as re-inforced parts and provide for stability. A. clocked stocking-web as above described and formed, is a reversible fabric, the clocks appearing upon opposite faces of a web as clearly shown in Fig. 3. While the above description and drawings have been restricted to two designs of clocks, for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that varied styles of clocks may be effected by providing various combinations of web forming needles with additional or re-inforcing thread.

Chcked w sabove described 'iiiay be fashioned from silk or other thread, for

instance white silk, and then dipped for .instanee in black dye to provide a stocking in which the web and clock are of the same color. In case it is desired to have a stocking-web and clock of contrasting colors the same may be accomplished either according to dipping procedure or to ingrain system of formation. In the former case, assuming for the pur se of illustration that a green clock is desired upon a black stocking, the web is knit from undyed silk or other thread as usual, but, the reinforcing thread, as introduced to form a clock, has been colored green with specially prepared dye to resist accepting dye of-any other color. Thus when the undyed stocking-web is treated with black dye, the green clock does not accept the black dye but retains its original color. In case of ingrain system of formation, the stockingweb is knit from thread of one color and the re-inforcing thread used in forn'iing a clock is of another color. For example the thread forming the web may have previously been dyed black and the re-infof'cing thread may have been dyed green. If it be desired to have a white stocking-web with a colored clock obviously it is only necessary to dye the re-- inforcing thread previous to introduction to the web-forming needles.

In practice a fiat knitting machine is provided with an attachment for operating at predetermined intervals those thread carriers upon the machine which supply the web-forming needles with rc-inforcing thread. 7

It will now be apparent that I have devised novel and useful constructions which embody the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description. and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiments thereof which have been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results. it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advanta i What I c aim is -1. The herein described method of manufacturing full fashioned clocked hosiery which consists in knitting directly into the stocking-web in spaced relation from the opposite edges thereof; and simultaneously with formation of said stocking web reinforcing thread in successive clock-forming courses, said courses defining zig-zagdike lines substantially inclined to the wales and courses of said web and continuing knitting of reinforcing thread to 'fOlll'l re-inforced "heel-portions which are continuations in part of said clocks.

2. The herein described method of manufacturing full fashioned clocked hosiery which consists in knitting a stocking-web until the usual narrowing operation takes place, substantially at which time re-inforcing thread is provided selected web-forming needles spaced from the opposite edges of the web for introducing the re-inforcing thread into the web in successive clock forming courses, the opposed ends of the courses defining zig-zag-like lines substantially inclined to the wales and courses of said web. which operation continues until the heel portion of the web is reached at which time reinforcing thread is provided additional needles to form re-in't'ort'rd heel-portions which are continuations in part of said clocks.

3. The herein described method of manufacturing" full fashioned clocked hosiery which consists in knitting directly into the stocking-web in spaced relation from the opposite edge'sthereof; and simultaneous ly with formation of said stocking-web, reinforcing thread in successive clock-forming courses, the opposed ends of said courses defining zig-zag-like lines substantially inclined to the wales and courses of said web and before clock completion simultaneously forming in conjunction therewith re-inforced rear ankle portions spaced from the clocks and thereafter forming are-inforced heel the same being a continuation in part of said clocks and re-inforced ankle parts. A 4. As a new article of manufacture a full fashioned clocked stocking, the opposed clocks being formed of' successive courses of re-inforcing thread knitted directly into the stocking-Web in spaced relation from the stocking rear seam; and simultaneously with formation of said stocking-web, the opposed ends of which courses define zig-zag-like lines substantially inclined to the wales and courses of said web, said stocking having re-inforced heel portions which are con tinuations in part of said clocks.

5. As a new article of manufacture a full fashioned clocked stocking, the opposed clocks being formed of successive courses of re-inforcing thread knitted directly into the stocking-web in spaced relation from the stocking rear seam; and simultaneously with formation of said stocking-web the opposed ends of which courses define a zigzag-like line substantially inclined to the wales and courses of said web said stocking having re-inforced' rear ankle portions spaced from the clocks, said stocking having ie-inforce'd heel portions which are continuations in part of said clocks and reinformd ankle parts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

RICHARD ERNST SCI-ILETTER. 

